WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic knows a thing or two about the talents and intangibles required to win big matches against the best players.
He’s been in 35 Grand Slam finals. He’s won 23 of them. He played Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a total of 109 times, with head-to-head edges against both. He went 9-5 against them in title matches at majors.
So it seemed only natural to ask Djokovic to whom he’d compare the new star of men’s tennis — Carlos Alcaraz — after losing to him across five sets and more than 4 1/2 hours brimming with brilliant play and dramatic moments in the Wimbledon final on Sunday.
“People have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa and myself. I would agree with that,” Djokovic began, the bitterness of the 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 defeat, and the end of his reign at the All England Club, still sharp.
“I think he’s got basically (the) best of all three worlds,” Djokovic said.
Left there, that would stand out as a rather striking endorsement of the precocious Alcaraz, a Spaniard who won the U.S. Open last year and now is one of just five men to collect multiple Grand Slam trophies before turning 21.
Then Djokovic got into specifics.
“He’s got this mental resilience and, really, maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It’s quite impressive,” said Djokovic, who had won Wimbledon four years in a row and seven times in all. “He’s got this ‘Spanish bull’ mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defense that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years.”
With a smile, Djokovic tacked on what he sees of himself in the youngster.
“He’s got some nice sliding backhands that (have) some similarities with my backhands. Two-handed backhands. Defense. Being able to adapt. That has been my personal strength for many years,” Djokovic said. “He has it, too.”
When the gist of that assessment was relayed to the No. 1-ranked Alcaraz, his eyes widened and he exhaled under the white bucket hat that became his trademark news conference accessory.
Alcaraz was asked how he would describe himself.
“It’s crazy that Novak (would) say that, honestly. But I consider myself a really complete player. I think I have the shots, the strength physically, the strength mentally, enough to (handle) these situations,” he said. “Probably he’s right. But I don’t want to think about it. … I’m ‘full Carlos Alcaraz,’ let’s say, but probably I have some great ability from every player.”
Living up to expectations is never easy, and so much has been expected of Alcaraz. Somehow, he is living up to all the hype.
He brings abundant athleticism, quickness, strength and reflexes to the game. He is equipped with a booming forehand and the touch to implement the softest of drop shots.
